Axminster

Gateway to Devon's beautiful Axe Valley, this thriving market town is famous worldwide for Axminster carpets.

This superb quality carpet that rivalled Turkish carpets was first made by Thomas Whitty in 1755, and each time a carpet was finished the bells at the Minster were rung in celebration.

The Minster stands in its oasis of green at the heart of the town, and was once so prestigious that Saxon princes were buried here. Nearby is Axminster's museum in the Old Courthouse where you can find out more about the town's carpet industry.

The town has a thriving artistic community and this is reflected in the Axminster Art Trail which includes sculptures like Roger Dean's farmer and cow by the Tesco walkway, representative of the town's long-established livestock market. Axminster also hosts the Axe Vale Festival of Gardening and Crafts in June, the largest festival of this type in the Southwest.

The East Devon Way footpath and Buzzard Route cycle track pass close to the town, while the mudflats of the Axe estuary are superb for birdwatching with curlew, oystercatcher, and egret.

Interesting places nearby include Loughwood Meeting House (NT) at Dalwood and the important non-fortified Middle Ages manor house of Shute Barton (NT) which supposedly boasts the largest open fireplace in England!
Axminster is also an excellent touring centre within easy reach of the Blackdown Hills, Hardy's Dorset, and the picturesque coastal resort of Lyme Regis, famous for its fossils.

For more information please contact the local Tourist Information Centre:
Axminster Tourist Information Centre
The Old Courthouse
Church Street
Axminster
EX13 5AQ

Tel: 01297 34386
Email: axminstertic@btopenworld.com
www.axe-valley.com